I Love You Forevermore
by Queen-of-the-Saps
Summary: Why is it that the most wonderful memories are the ones that haunt you the most? RobRae
1. Skeletons in the Closet

Disclaimer: Nothing.

"I Love You Forevermore"

—Skeletons in the Closet—

ONE

"Okay. It's time to get started. Let's see, what do we have here?" Rachel kneeled on the floor and started to rummage through random objects in the monstrous pile occupying her guest room closet. "Papers, papers, papers. Is that the only thing I stuffed in here?!" She came across a blue folder and briefly went through the first few printed pages. "Senior English. Well, that's nothing worth keeping." Raven stuffed the blue folder in the trash can without looking at the other documents inside.

"Let's see here. . . calculus folder." Raven fished out a red folder and fingered through that one. "Junk!" She tossed that one in the trash with a flick of her wrist. Pulling out a green folder, she peered through it. "Geography. Somebody just kill me, now!" Without a second thought, she put that folder in the trash can and stomped on it especially hard. "Goodbye, Angola!"

Once again, looking through the junk for anything worth saving, Raven found a thick, leather-bound book with parchment pages. It looked so familiar. But she didn't have anything of that nature since— "Since the Titans disbanded. . ." A troubled look replaced her placid one from before. She hadn't thought of the Titans in years. She had grown up since then.

She was twenty-four and finally out of college. Her hair was long and black, now. She grew a few inches to where she was now, five foot seven. Her curves amplified, as well. And while she wasn't a Goth, she did enjoy the darker elements, but she kept balance in her life. It was when she left the Titans that she realized how unbalanced her life was. She didn't need the Titans, anymore. She had a life of her own. She was a surgical nurse at the biggest hospital in Jump. She had a decent sized apartment all to herself _that needs spring cleaning. _She looked down at the huge pile before her and then at the book in her hands. When did she acquire this book? She opened it.

"_July 18__th__, 2005_

_Diary— _

_It has finally happened. He is gone! Trigon is no more. With the help of my friends, especially Robin—_" A few tears fell on the diary entry, "—_I am no longer plagued by that demon inside of me. I never thought there would be a day that I could say, "I feel. . ." . But there is. I have found it. Happiness, eccentricity, sadness, anger; all these emotions I can _feel_._ _And with this discovery, it seems as if the bond between Robin and I has only deepened. Maybe it was because of what we went through together, maybe not. I cannot believe someone would risk themselves as to go to the pits of Hell just to rescue someone— someone like me. That is dedication. Maybe I'll ask him why he did all that he did. Maybe even tonight. I long to be near him, I long to see him, smell him, hear him speak to me. When did I become so. . . _attached_? It seems like for the first time, I actually _know _someone. Someone who is like me, and _knows _me._ _Why do I feel this fluttering in my heart, this freeness in my soul, whenever I talk or think about him? I cannot describe the way I feel whenever I am around him. Could it be—" _

Raven dropped the book to the floor. She could not read anymore, she did not want to read the foolish antics of her former self. She did not have to. It was all playing in her mind, from start to finish, everything that had happened between the two of them.

She remembered. . . remembered everything. Down to the very last drop of detail, she remembered it all. It was, indeed, that night when she went to Robin's room at midnight, knowing he was still up, and she asked him why he had done everything he had for her.

Robin had been sitting at his desk when she entered his room. She wasn't sure what to do, so she sat on his Queen bed. She was nervous. She couldn't tell why, but she was. She stared at his red comforter beneath her and waited. She felt like she wasn't just waiting for Robin to finish up so that they could talk. No, she felt like she was waiting for something amazing to happen.

She felt the bed dip beside her as she realized Robin was done with his filing and sitting next to her on the bed. She looked up at him and took a good look at him. He was wearing loose pajama pants _without a shirt _and she noticed just how buff he was. That costume could be deceiving. He also was beginning to develop some whiskers, how old was he again? Seventeen? No, she was seventeen, now, making him eighteen. So it was no mystery that he needed to shave.

"So you wanted to talk to me about something, Rae?" He gave her a smile, not his heart-throb smile or his famous sexy-grin, but a real, natural smile. A smile that always reassured her that she could tell him anything.

"Uh, yeah. I was actually doing a lot of thinking."

"You? Thinking? Nah." Robin teased her. It was something he did often, and also something that she loved. However, she just smiled and did not offer a come-back.

"I was reminiscing about pre-Trigon days, and how I was not able to feel. But now I am able to feel, and we have drawn closer because of it. Or at least, that's what I think." She looked away for a moment as she waited for her slight blush to pass. "Robin?" She turned towards him and looked him in the eye.

"Yeah?" He asked with a kind voice which gave her the courage to ask the question that had almost plagued her since Trigon was defeated.

"Why did you go through all that trouble just to rescue me? I mean," she looked down at her hands in her lap as she continued, "you literally went through the pits of Hell looking for me. You did not know if you would find me or if we would even get back to the real world. You went though so much difficulty just to—" Raven stopped talking because of a certain Boy Wonder's finger on her lips. Robin gently placed his fingers underneath her chin and guided it so she could look back at him.

"It was no trouble to me." He smiled for her and brushed his fingers through her hair.

"But why?" She asked of him.

He smiled even broader. "Because I could not even imagine living without you." He leaned in and kissed her full on the lips. To say Raven was shocked would be an understatement and to say she was displeased would be a lie. They kept kissing until Raven broke away from Robin. Robin sat tensely as he waited for Raven to say what she was going to say. Would she refuse or accept him?

"Robin?" He nodded his head to encourage her to keep going. "I am not quite sure what this feeling is, but I have felt it for a long time, and, well," she paused to gather up her courage to continue, "I think I am in love with you!" She ended up blurting out the end, and thought it sounded so out of character for her, but she didn't care. She told Robin how she felt, and she hoped she knew what was coming.

"I love you, too, Raven. And I have for longer than I can remember." She closed her eyes as she leaned in for another kiss which Robin happily consented to. She traced the fingers of her left hand along his face, finally settling them in his hair as the kiss deepened. Robin encircled Raven with his two arms and pushed on her back so she would press farther onto him with his two hands.

Robin kept pressing him to her as he kissed her. She eventually broke the kiss and blushed as she led her fingers from his hair across his jawline to rock hard muscle on his chest and abs. She had never seen a guy without a shirt, before, especially one with such great physique. She traced her fingers across his muscles for a few more moments before looking back into his beautiful sapphire eyes. "So, what are we?" Raven asked him not knowing where they would go from there.

"I think," Robin said as he held her hands in his, "we are two lovebirds who will never be parted." However, he didn't know how wrong he would be.

Rachel then remembered the next day. Both Robin and herself had decided on telling the others about their relationship. They had walked out into the living room where Cyborg and Beast Boy were racing each other on the Gamestation. Starfire was sitting inbetween Beast Boy and Cyborg (obviously not able to choose one over the other), pouring a generous amount of mustard on her bowl of popcorn as she watched the wide-screen TV.

"Titans," Robin said in his most authoritative voice as the game paused and the threesome turned around and stared at the couple. Raven felt nowhere near as assured of this plan of action due to their curious and speculating gaze. She felt a dreadful premonition about the outcome of this situation, but before she could convey this to Robin he started speaking again. "Raven and I have an announcement to make."

This caught the attention of the three other Titans. Raven remembered the look of concern Beast Boy had on his face. With his parents killed at a young age, and no longer part of the Doom Patrol, he needed the Titans as his friends and family to help raise him and for support. Maybe even more than the others. Starfire just looked curious and naive, but Cyborg? He had his human eye narrowed on an analytical face. Almost as if he knew what they were going to say before they spoke one word. . . and disapproved greatly.

Raven really thought that if Starfire didn't kill 'her boy' for choosing someone else, Cyborg would. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all. . .

"What is it, Friend Robin?" Starfire asked him with a sweet voice that made Raven even less secure. She didn't want to ruin the world for her best friend. She grabbed Robin's hand to try to tell him something, but Robin took mistook it for a 'go ahead' gesture instead.

"Raven and I are going out." Shock immediately took over Beast Boy and Starfire, but Cyborg, on the other hand, looked like he was barely containing his rage. Almost like his worst fear was taking place before him and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Friend Robin. . .?" Starfire looked so hurt. Even Robin could barely look at her. "I'm sorry, Star." He paused before looking her straight in the eyes. "You realize I still love you, don't you?"

"If you love me, why are you doing the holding of the hand with Friend Raven and not with me? I am most confused." Starfire stood up from her sitting position on the couch and walked over to stand before 'her boy' and her best friend.

"Star. . . I _do _love you. I just love you more like a sister and a good friend rather than a girlfriend." Robin gave Raven's hand a small squeeze, but did not look at her and risk Star's wrath. Beast Boy looked at the couple with fear in his eyes and, to some extent, disappointment and understanding. Before Robin could say another word, Beast Boy bolted from the couch (most likely his room being the destination) from being hurt beyond comparison. He always was the one trying to get Raven to laugh, to smile, to feel good about herself. But he had failed. He had failed miserably. And he couldn't take it.

Cyborg stood up and walked over to where Robin stood with determination, where Raven was hanging her head in shame, and where Starfire had begun to cry. He folded his arms against his broad chest and stared down at Robin. While Robin wasn't as short as he was when the Titans were first formed, he still was a head shorter than Cyborg. Cyborg stood there as he searched for the right words to say. After a long pause, however, he shook his head and wrapped an arm around Star's shaking shoulders. "Go on, Star. I'll take care of this." She nodded her head and walked instead of hovered to her room; all joy gone from her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Cyborg's voice boomed to the two of them, but directed more at Robin than Raven.

Robin stood his ground, never averting his eyes or looking at the floor. He firmly told Cyborg, "We're telling you the truth. We thought you deserved it rather than hiding behind your backs."

"Why all of a sudden? Did you just wake up this morning and think, 'let's destroy the team with this news today'? I really thought you had more tact than that, Robin. And you, too, Raven. You are an empath, for Goodness' sake! I thought you would have known this would happen. Starfire has only liked Robin since she kissed him on her first day on Earth! Beast Boy, too. Raven, he's only liked you and tried to be the one to help you with your emotions since the two of us returned from Nevermore. Terra was just a distraction from his true feelings! Why didn't you see that?!" Cyborg looked like he was going to pop a blood vessel. This scared Raven beyond anything she ever imagined, he had only been kind and polite to her. Never anything like this. Never.

"Cyborg, calm yourself! What has happened has happened. There is nothing we can do about it. We just thought the rest of you deserved the truth. I guess we were wrong." At that Robin turned around and led Raven by the hand to his room.

"What are we going to do about this, Robin? The rest of the team either hates us or wants us to separate or both!" Raven put her head in her hands as she paced the floor before Robin who was sitting at his desk.

"They'll just have to accept us, Raven. Give it time. They're just scared and a little hurt right now. They'll eventually find someone for themselves and then _we'll _be the ones who has to accept it." He gave a natural smile to reassure her that reminded her of the one he gave her the previous night. Why did things have to become so difficult for them when they had only begun?

Rachel skipped over the awkward silences and harsh words that followed that day in her head. She had put up with it for two months. Two whole painstaking months. And then. . . she left. She made it look like she went to Azarath and left the majority of her room in the Tower. She had sent personal notes that night to each of her teammates saying she was sorry for causing a rift in their friendship and would make sure it would never happen again. She still regretted not being able to say goodbye in person. But it was easier that way, not only for her, but it would have been too hard on them;_ especially Robin_. She knew she hurt him. She would prefer 'going home' than staying with the man she claimed she loved. Yeah, she hurt him bad.

At first there wasn't a day she didn't think about him; had he moved on? was he with Star, now? if they ever met again, would they have a chance? And then the thoughts became less frequent, and eventually practically nonexistent. Especially after the Titans disbanded a month or two after she left.

And then she went back to the present. She didn't want to think of the past, anymore. It wasn't healthy. As she stood up with the leather bound book in hand a picture fell out. It was a picture of the two of them. Smiling sweet and undisturbed. This was before they had confessed their love, before it had gotten hard. Maybe it would have been better if they never had confessed and remained more than friends, but less than a couple. Maybe. . .

_Ugh! Stop it!_ She mentally scolded herself as she walked over to one of the many candles in her room. She lit it and held the picture in her hand_. I'm sorry, Robin. _She said in her mind as the picture loomed over to the flame. _But I love you nevermore. _She watched as their smiling faces became distorted from the fire as it burned. The picture smoked and smelled like ashes from a grave. Maybe that's what they were, because then she stopped being Raven and fully became Rachel Roth.

—Fin—

A/N: This is a remake of my story "I Love You, Nevermore". I am creating a clean version with more plot to the story. If you've read "I Love You, Nevermore" than you probably could tell that not much of it has changed other than the lemon being taken out. But, it'll get better when I add more story to it. Thanks for reading!

Signed,

Her Sappiness


	2. Unexpected Encounters

**A/N: Mild swearing in this chapter.**

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

"I Love You Forevermore"

—Unexpected Encounters—

TWO

Ugh! Stop it! _She mentally scolded herself as she walked over to one of the many candles in her room. She lit it and held the picture in her hand_. I'm sorry, Robin_. She said in her mind as the picture loomed over to the flame. _But I love you nevermore. _She watched as their smiling faces became distorted from the fire as it burned. The picture smoked and smelled like ashes from a grave. Maybe that's what they were, because then she stopped being Raven and fully became Rachel Roth._

—

It had been seven years. _Seven years!_ Yes, it had been seven years to the day since he allowed Raven to leave his life. And everyday for the past seven years he had walked by the same picture and — even though he wasn't exactly religious — had said a prayer to whoever was listening that one day she would return to hi— _them_. Sure, the Titans had disbanded almost seven years ago, as well, but that didn't mean they didn't keep in touch. Well, maybe saying they 'kept in touch' wouldn't be a complete truth. They usually stayed away from each other except for September 18th every year. _The day she went away. . ._

Every year on this day they would come together at the Tower and gather in her room. In there they would say a few things to commemorate her. This usually led to tears from more than one of them. Starfire, or Kori Anders as she was now called, would always be first. Then, even though he was a decent actor, it would be Beast Boy or Changeling. Cyborg, once and again known as Victor Stone, would be next, with his human eye letting out all the sorrow he kept inside from the previous year.

But Nightwing or Richard "Dick" Grayson or whatever name you would call him never did. Robin had cried all his tears the day she had left and in-between every September 18th. He had vowed to never cry on that day no matter what so he would never defile her memory with tears. He wanted to show her he loved her in a different way; by showing her that he was still as strong and as much in love as he was on July 18th, 2005.

That was also another reason he became Nightwing; Robin would have cried and poured his heart out. Nightwing wouldn't. Nightwing was a pillar of strength. And here he was in the alley behind their favorite pizza parlor; waiting for the others to appear since he was only an hour and a half early.

—

Rachel Roth walked home from work at the hospital in Jump City. She didn't like taking her car because of the price of fuel or riding the bus nowadays. Instead, she liked to walk the few miles and get to know the city she had once sworn to protect. Her crime fighting days were over, now, and she was quite alright with that. She didn't need or even want to; it didn't matter that she had almost completely mastered her emotions and, through them, her powers.

In fact, she was just about to leave it all behind, powers included. She had burned the picture the day previous and was feeling like a brand new person. Today she was Rachel Roth, RN, twenty-four years old, and single. Maybe it was time for someone in her life. But who? Maybe she could hit a club tonight or something. Grab some drinks. . . Hit the dance floor. . . Have a good time. She nodded her head, she was going to do that after she went home to change.

The sun started to set over the bay when she passed the old pizza parlor they would all hang out at after a mission. She traced her fingers along the wall as she felt someone's eyes on her. She looked behind her and her eyes widened. "What do you want?" She asked, shakily.

—

Nightwing was growing tired of waiting. _Only fifteen minutes more. . ._ He kept telling himself though it didn't have much affect. He peeked around the corner, stealthily hid in the shadows, watching the random people of Jump walk by.

Some were old, some young, some alone, some in their cliques. There were punks, preps, Goths, outcasts, also some pretty, and some not so fortunate. Just everyday people. One girl with long black hair and a curvy figure caught his eye and he watched her walk by as she hummed a tune he didn't know. She walked right passed him but stopped a few feet down the sidewalk and slid her fingers down the side of the parlor. It was like it meant something great to her, or maybe it did once upon a time ago. Nightwing didn't have much time to ponder over it because of what happened next.

The woman turned around and saw a scruffy boy of about nineteen not only looking at her, but pointing a gun at her! "What do you want?" The woman asked shakily as she turned around completely and pressed her back to the wall. Nightwing had to do something! But what was his plan of action?

—

Rachel stared at the gun the boy was holding. "Gimme all yer money. . . No, the whole damn purse!" He started to laugh and grinned so evilly, shivers ran down her spine. She had faced evil, psychotic villains, but his voice was different than theirs had been. It was like he was begging her to disobey, just so he could shoot her. Just so he could see the blood.

Rachel wasn't one to surrender easily, but she couldn't afford getting shot and healing herself in public. So, she did what any normal person would do. She screamed. This attracted attention, too much attention. "Shut up, you damn whore!" He hissed and as he went to pull the trigger someone yelled "Get down!" and pulled her to the ground. The sound of a gun echoed on the buildings, followed by murmurings and a few screams of scared citizens.

Rachel opened her eyes as she hit the ground. A loud "oomph" was heard and she felt a body pressed to her back. _Oh, crap!_ The guy who had just saved her had gotten shot, instead! It took a lot of effort to roll the heavy, limp body off of her. But when she did. . . She saw a masked man with ebony-colored hair, a conditioned physique, and a belt around his waist that looked exactly like Robin's, only black. She gasped. It couldn't be, could it? What was he doing _here _of all places?! She knew this was Nightwing and that he protected Blüdhaven, _not _Jump.

All her ponderings faded when his brow furrowed in extreme pain and he coughed up blood. "Oh, crap." She said. By this time, a group of citizens had gathered around to marvel at the great Nightwing at his weakest. "I'm a nurse, I can handle this. . ." Rachel said trying to convince herself more than others. "Does anyone have any handkerchiefs at all? I need something to cover the wound as I apply pressure." It took a moment for most to snap out of the initial shock of a legendary hero being down before several individuals came forth with their hankies. One by one she folded them twice into a smaller square before applying onto his wound.

After about folding ten or so, she sat up and leaned onto his broad chest, forcing as much pressure as she could. She began to panic when the handkerchiefs began to soak up completely with his blood. Should she use her powers? In public?

With determination on her face she tried a different approach to the problem. _It's only fair I save his life._ She thought. _He only saved me and the entire universe from Trigon. A life for a life._ She took the handkerchiefs off and with her bare hands dug into his flesh for the bullet. Before she was focusing on stopping the bleeding, but now she had to get rid of the source.

As soon as she plunged into chest wound he screamed bloody murder. She didn't blame him, either, so she placed her hand on his face and drained away some of his pain into herself. She grit her teeth as the pain came rolling on and she kept searching for the bullet, blindly.

After a minute or so of trying, she finally found it. She dug it out with her hands and heard behind her some whispers where before it had only been relative silence. "Stay back! She knows what she's doing; she's an RN."

"I will not stay back! Nightwing needs help." She heard a voice of a boy? No, he would be older, maybe a few years younger than her. The voice reminded her of Beast Boy, but it was deeper. However, she let go of all other thoughts as she refocused on Nightwing.

"And what will _you _do? Do you have a degree in medicine?" The old lady whispered harshly back. This quieted the male. Rachel put the bullet aside on one of the bloody handkerchiefs, and took some of the others and leaned full force on him before she whispered "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. . ."_. _She was forcing the blood to clot with her dark energy. And after a few moments it worked.

"What did she just say?" Asked a booming voice. A booming voice she knew rather well. Or rather Raven did. Cyborg was right behind her and was coming closer by the sound of his footsteps. "What's your name, girl?" He asked slow and cautious.

"What's it to you?" Rachel replied rather harshly and refused to turn around to look at him.

"You saved my friend's life, and I just wanted to thank the person who did it properly." Cyborg relied smooth as silk.

"Fine. My name is Rachel Roth. Happy now?" She said and he uttered a "Thank you" before she told him, "I save people every day, you don't need to thank me. I do it all the time." And then she walked off, not even sparing a backwards glance at Nightwing. She knew Cyborg would take care of him and help him heal completely.

Rachel turned the corner at the pizza parlor and walked the length of the block before a tear ran down her cheek. Then another. And another. Before she knew it she was sitting against one of the old buildings that were so abundant in this area of Jump only a few blocks away from the wounded Nightwing. She couldn't hold back anymore; she started sobbing her heart out. "I'm sorry. . . _Robin_."

A fly that had been following her ever since she had left the shooting scene would have gasped if that were possible for a fly. Instead, he materialized into a lanky, tall but lean, green man with pointy ears. He stood a few feet away from her, leaning against the wall and trying to figure out his plan for action. This was Raven; he knew it was. How else would Nightwing be alive and doing so well, now? Or what about her knowing he once was known as Robin? This was Raven. He just didn't know how to approach her without scaring her off. . . _again_.

She was quieting down, now but stayed in her crouched position against the wall. Changeling took this opportunity to walk out into the middle of the sidewalk so his shadow would be projected to her feet.

Rachel looked up to see who had been there all that time and her eyes widened in fear when she saw him. "Wha— what are you doing here? What do you want with me?!" She cried and screamed all at once and a dog barked in the background.

"Raven. . ." He said with his hand partially stretched out, trying to reach her but pulling back all in the same moment.

"That's not my name. I'm Rachel Roth, RN, single and loving it." She told him in a bitter voice before looking at the cement sidewalk next to her huddled body.

He sighed. "Raven, we want you to come back." Beast Boy or Changeling said cautiously with a tinge of sadness. His face was sympathetic and concerned at the same time. He didn't know how he could reach her after what he knew he had put her through.

"I told you, that's not my name." She relied while still looking down.

Changeling walked forward and sat next to her, but not too close; knowing she liked her distance. "You'll always be Raven to us. Always be _our _Raven." He said with intense mixed emotions and this time she hesitantly looked at him.

—

"Kori," Cyborg hastily said to the alien girl formerly known as Starfire, "hand me my medical bag from the T-Car." Cyborg only hoped she would understand the urgency in his voice. Nightwing had been in a lot of pain ever since the strange girl, Rachel Roth, had left. This only added to the list of suspicions. Like, how did she get his blood to clot only after fifteen, twenty seconds with only a few handkerchiefs? Why wouldn't she look at him? Why was he in so much pain now and not when she was with him? And the list went on and on.

"Yes, Friend Cyborg." Kori saluted and flew above the crowd to the T-Car and grabbed the bag from the trunk. Once the bag was in Cyborg's hands, he took out a sedative to make him sleep through the pain. It wasn't incredibly strong and would only last a half hour at the most. But it would have to do until he could get better medical devices at the Tower. After he had injected the serum into Nightwing's neck, Cyborg told Kori to fly to Titans Tower to inform the caretakers that they would need the Tower to themselves a little early. "Will Friend Nightwing have the good health once more?" She asked before she left.

"Don't worry, Kori. He's a tough guy; always has been. One lousy bullet won't take him down. None of us would allow it." He gave her the biggest smile he could under the circumstances and she was on her way. "You better make it, man. For all our sakes."

—

Rachel laughed. "I guess we can't call him a 'Walking Traffic Light', anymore, now can we?" Changeling laughed along with her. It was true. He was a dark bird, now. Rachel had a hazy look on her face, "He'll always be Boy Blunder, though." So many emotions were on her face; happiness from all the times she had teased him with the nickname, regret from leaving the Titans (namely her ex-team leader), disheartenment because she would most likely never call him that again or even see him again, but mostly sadness. It was strange to Changeling to see her like that; wearing her emotions on her sleeve. But, seven years can change people drastically, he reminded himself. He still couldn't believe it had been _seven years_. He knew he had lost her, maybe completely, during that period of seven years, although it was nice to talk to her one-on-one for a while.

"So whatever happened to the Tower? Is it abandoned or shut down?" She asked him, obviously now relaxed around him and finally ready to talk about the things she thought she had left behind completely.

"Nah, we couldn't bear to see it lose all it's splendor and glory. So, between the four of us we hired a full-time caretaker for it and some maids that make sure that the only thing we would lose would be dust and dirt. They come and clean a different section each day of the week. They're really nice, too. We were all there for the interviews and had to deal with so many snobs, ya know? They all wanted to practically own the place. But it wasn't their home; it's ours. All _five _of ours." He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Won't you come home?"

"But it's all my fault. . ." She said removing her gaze from his face to the ground in-between her sneakers. She couldn't bear to look at him because of all the shame she felt. The shame for going to Robin right before midnight on July 18th, 2005, for the breakup of the close family they had, for the disbanding of the Titans, for the fragile relationship the former Titans all had (she couldn't get much out of Changeling, but assumed that they practically wanted nothing to do with each other), and especially for Nightwing's possible fatal bullet wound. Everything was her fault.

Changeling sighed once more. "Raven, Raven, Raven." He sounded disappointed in her. "You would think you took lessons from Robin!" She partially smiled when Changeling referred to him by his old name. "Nothing is your fault, believe me. Not in the least. It was the three of our faults. We should have realized long before you even announced the two of you were going out. The way you would be moon gazing on the roof every night together _alone_, how you were the only two up in the mornings — just so you could be together _alone_, how you would stay behind together _alone _whenever we would go to the arcade or to a movie that you both 'weren't interested in', and even though you weren't alone, you would _always _sit next to each other at the pizza parlor. I mean, how many more clues did we need?" He stopped for a brief moment as he put his thoughts together. "I think we were so hung up on our own emotions that we didn't want to believe or even _see _the obvious signs! Starfire always liked Robin, you know that. . ." Changeling trailed off as he, too, looked to the ground.

"You mean 'loved'." Rachel stated more than asked.

"No. I think it was more of an obsession she had than love. Think about it; he was the first person to welcome her to Earth; he probably was her first kiss; he was the first person who helped her learn the many customs and ways of Earth; he never grew frustrated with her even though she was 180º in the opposite direction; and she thought the kindness he showed to her meant that he, too, 'loved' her like she _thought _she 'loved' him." He finally concluded. Even though it sounded logical, Rachel wasn't sure that was what she needed or even _wanted _to hear.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked warily, wanting to know the answer and dreading it altogether.

"He's been waiting for you for seven _years_, Raven. Don't you think you should ease his pain?" Raven knew he made sense, but she didn't feel right jumping back in his life after seven years and still claim to love him even though she had hurt him beyond compare.

"But how? I mean, I promised you all in the notes I left that I would never do anything more to hurt my friends." She told him with a strained voice as her eyes started to water.

"Raven, you hurt us by leaving." She hung her head as a few silent tears did slide down her cheeks. _He's right. . . I did hurt them. I'm such an idiot! _"But that one you can remedy." Her head shot up to look at his earnest face. It seemed that Beast Boy had finally grown up. It was initially a scary thought, but she definitely liked a good, reliable friend better than a pestering, little brother.

He eventually stood up and held his hand out to her, offering to pull her up. She smiled and gladly accepted the help, knowing what he meant by it_. Let us help you to get on your feet again, Rae. _

—

Cyborg had finally reached Titans Tower fifteen minutes later with an unconscious Nightwing in the backseat of the T-Car. He carried his limp body bridal style into the Tower and went into the elevator to the medical wing. Once there, he very gently placed Nightwing onto one of the cots, making sure he didn't start bleeding, again.

Cyborg cut open Nightwing's costume over his chest to examine his wound better. What he found astonished him. It was just a scab! And it was smaller than the bullet wound had been. Almost as if he had healed himself in a very short amount of time. . . or maybe someone else had. Someone like that girl; Rachel Roth. _It couldn't be her. It just couldn't!_

_Could it?_

Cyborg decided to leave the issue alone and dragged a chair over to Nightwing's bedside. For now he would watch over him until he woke up. It wouldn't be too much longer. Maybe ten minutes. Maybe a little more.

"Friend Cyborg?" Kori Anders walked into the medical wing wearing the costume she had as a Titan. Apparently she had gotten changed for Raven's Commemoration. "Yeah, Kori?" He asked her. "Where did Friend Changeling go?" She sounded worried and as much as he wanted to tell her he was in such-and-such place and would be back shortly, he couldn't.

"I dunno, Kori. He's probably just running some silly errand. He'll be back, soon. Don't worry. Why don't you go by the door and wait for him." He suggested after a moment of thought and Kori nodded at his idea.

_Friend Cyborg says not to worry, and Friend Changeling will do the arriving at home soon._ Kori said in her mind as she levitated by the door_. I hope he has the rightness._

—

Changeling and Rachel had walked a long way after he had helped her up. He never told her where they were going. He didn't have to_. I'm finally going home. . ._ She thought as she walked a step behind him. She felt like a huge boulder had been lifted off her chest, but she also felt sorrow. 'What if's were plaguing her mind. What if she had never left? What if the Titans had never disbanded? What if she had come back? What if Robin and she had kept their relationship a secret? What if— _Shut up, mind!_ She screamed mentally. _None of those ever happened and I may be able to stop time, but I can't change the past no matter how hard I try!_

Changeling stopped when he saw her fall back a bit. She ran into him because she wasn't paying attention to the outside world. "What's wrong?" He asked her in concern.

"Will they welcome me with open arms? I mean, I'm the reason the Titans disbanded and are barely on speaking terms!" She clenched her teeth together and closed her eyes as she slowly shook her head.

"Raven. Look at me." She opened her eyes hesitantly. "If there is any emotion they are feeling right now, it is grateful. You just saved our friend's life."

"It's also my fault he was shot in the first place." Rachel said and walked past him. Changeling followed her as she took a turn in the opposite direction of the Tower, obviously leading to a different destination.

"Raven! Come back! I know when you left it hurt you to hurt all of us and leave the only family you ever had behind. I know what it feels like. Raven, the four of you are the only family I have left. Same with Cyborg; he lost his mother in that accident and who knows how many more precious people to him because of it, Star lives on an entirely different planet so she is regarded with fear everywhere she goes since she looks different and knows so little about the ways here, and you know Nightwing was orphaned at eight when he watched his parents die, don't you?" Raven bobbed her head just enough for Changeling to distinguish it and kept walking, gradually slowing down in pace. "If you know that, then why are you doing it again?" She stopped in her tracks. _Why am I being so difficult? All they want is to see their friend again, and I am about to let the opportunity slip right through my fingers. _

"Changeling?" She asked and turned around to face him. He wasn't so surprised that she had a tear slipping down her cheek.

"Yeah, Raven?" He asked patiently. He was ready to answer any question she might throw at him. He desperately wanted to have a family again. And Raven was a big part of that family.

"Why are the four of you here in Jump if you don't live here?" It was a valid question. Why would four former teammates that hardly kept in contact with each other be in the same city on the same day if none of them lived there?

"We're here to commemorate you." He told her. "When you left, we vowed to never forget our great teammate and even better friend. So every September 18th we come to Titans Tower. We care about you, Raven. Each and every one of us." Raven could tell he wasn't lying using her empathy and was deeply touched by the way her friends had chosen to remember her. Was she the only facet keeping the former team together?

"Okay, then." She wiped away the few tears on her face with her sleeve and exhaled in peace. "No more delays. Let's go home." She smiled and walked towards Changeling before continuing to Titans Tower.

—

Kori Anders had been levitating in a meditative position for twenty minutes waiting for any sign of Changeling. Nightwing was most likely up, now, though most likely not in the best of mood. For that reason, mainly, she decided not to go and check up on him. She was pondering over what had caused the sweet, fun-loving Robin to become the dark Nightwing. Was it because of Friend Ra—

DING DONG!

Kori perked up at the sound of the doorbell. She floated over to the door and, as she opened it, she not only found Changeling, but also a woman. She had long hair that seemed darker than ebony; it was almost as long as Kori's. She also had rich, tan skin, a curvy figure, stood at about 5'7'', and sad, blue eyes.

"Friend Changeling, it is most disrespectful to Friend Raven's Day of Commemoration to bring a guest that has not been the invited." Kori scolded Changeling in front of Rachel, making her feel unwelcome at her former home. It was just as she had feared.

"You don't understand, Kori. She's the nurse who saved Nightwing." Changeling said and Rachel wondered why he didn't announce her as Raven.

"I'm here to check up on him and make sure he is healing properly." She told Kori while winking at her companion for the past half hour or so.

"Oh! Forgive me for having the rudeness, Friend. . .?" Kori immediately apologized to her.

"Call me Rachel." The black-haired beauty told her best friend, followed by Kori squealing. "Friend Rachel. . . That has the tone of pleasantness to it." She smiled and hovered in the air, making Rachel feel shorter than before. "What is your favorite color? Do you have any pets? How old are you? Where do you live? Do you work at a hospitable? When did you—"

"Starfire!" Changeling cut her short by not so kindly yelling her former alias.

"Yes, Friend Changeling?" She asked sweetly as if he had never yelled at her.

"We should get her to the medical wing quickly. She needs to check on Nightwing. You can ask her all the questions you want later. But right now, getting her to Nightwing is our top priority." He explained to her and she enthusiastically nodded her head several times.

After walking to the elevator and going up several floors, they arrived at the medical wing. "Here is Friend Nightwing." Kori paused. "Be careful, he may not be so nice when he wakes up." At that, she walked down the hall towards the elevator to get to the bedroom she used as a Titan.

"Why is he asleep?" Rachel asked a shrugging Changeling.

"I dunno. Mayb—" CRASH!! Changeling flinched at the frightful noise, but Raven was used to doctors throwing medical appliances during temper tantrums that she only turned her head towards the door without even blinking. She clearly was not startled. This amazed and partially freaked out Changeling. What even scared him more was that she walked though the medical wing doors.

Nightwing was sitting up on a cot and Cyborg was standing near the medicinal products and paraphernalia. They were in a heated argument about Cyborg giving Nightwing a sedative. All fighting stopped, though, when the doors closed behind her, not exactly as quietly as she had hoped.

They both turned to look at her. "Who are you?!" Yelled Cyborg who was already losing his temper with Nightwing. "Who let you in? This is a private residence, and you're trespassing!"

Cyborg started walking over to Rachel but was stopped when a firm hand was placed on his shoulder, not allowing him to go forward. Cyborg looked at him half quizzical, half angered. "You're the girl from today. . ." Nightwing said as the woman before him nodded.

"Are you alright?" She asked him.

"Yes, thanks to you." He replied and she wondered how much he _really _knew.

Not knowing what else to say or to even say anything at all because of the awkward silence, Raven excused herself in the only way she could think of. "Good. I guess I'll be going, then." Rachel turned around but could and would not go any further because of the two muscular arms that wrapped around her waist.

"No. You're not going _anywhere_." Rachel's eyes widened as he said, "Not again."

—Fin—

A/N: Well, there is the second chapter. What do you think? I didn't have to take much out of this one. I mostly added to the paragraphs and kept the dialogue the same. Oh, and don't worry anti-BB/Rae people. NOTHING will happen between them. I merely added their conversation to show how much he had grown up and besides, Rachel needed someone to give her a little push. Just FYI, I'd say Changeling is about twenty-one in this story. Don't forget to review!

Signed,

Her Sappiness


	3. Forever And a Day

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or Nike. . . not one bit.

"I Love You Forevermore"

Forever And a Day

THREE

"_Are you alright?" She asked him._

"_Yes, thanks to you." He replied and she wondered how much he _really _knew._

_Not knowing what else to say or to even say anything at all because of the awkward silence, Raven excused herself in the only way she could think of. "Good. I guess I'll be going, then." Rachel turned around but could and would not go any further because of the two muscular arms that wrapped around her waist. _

"_No. You're not going _anywhere_." Rachel's eyes widened as he said, "Not again."_

—

"How'd you know who I was? I look nothing like my old self." Rachel said in shock.

"Oh, dying your hair, not wearing your chakra, getting color contacts, and going to a tanning booth regularly won't stop me from recognizing the only woman I'll ever love." Rachel leaned into his embrace and he held her closer to him than before.

"When'd you figure it out?" She asked and Cyborg decided to keep his mouth shut (this time) and leave the two lovebirds alone.

"I first noticed it when you touched my face." He admitted.

"Because I stole some of your pain?" She asked in curiosity.

"No. It was because I would recognize your touch, _anywhere_." He turned her around in his arms and kissed her lips like he had done in his dreams for the past seven years. He started out very gentle and slow. Little by little he worked his right hand up her arm, her neck, her jaw, her face, and settled in her ebony hair.

Soon his kisses became playful and they sped up. Her left hand was pressing his back closer to her and her right was on the side of his face feeling the short stubble that had begun to grow an hour or so ago. His kisses began to stray away from her mouth. He planted butterfly kisses along her jawline. She moaned when he licked her elegant neck, then he suckled on a particular spot; occasionally nipping here and there. Rachel brought her left hand to the back of his neck and hung on as he pushed their torsos even closer together. They did not stay together for long, however, when Rachel hesitantly pulled away from him. "We need to stop this." She told him in all seriousness.

She could hear Nightwing's heavy breathing for a minute before he replied. "What's the matter? I thought you loved me. . ." His voice was even, but she knew she had hurt him, _again_.

"I don't think we should continue here in the medical wing of all places for the first reason," He smirked at that thought. Yes, the medical wing was one of the least romantic spots and one that _everyone _had access to, "and the second is. . . I've always had a girlish dream to wait until my wedding night. So I'm not going to start anything until that time."

Realization dawned on Nightwing and he knew that he would have to respect her wishes. Besides, he had waited seven years, what was a little more time? "No, you're right." He told her. "I don't want to do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable."

She nodded and offered a thanks as he walked over to the sink and turned the faucet on. He kept his fingers under the running water until it grew to a frigid temperature and he splashed his face with the water in his cupped hands in attempt to cool himself down.

"What do you suppose we do until then?" He asked her when he came back, drying his face with a white hand towel. She was sitting down on top of one of the medical cots, watching him.

"Well, you're definitely a guy!" She chuckled at his response.

"And what, my dear Raven, could you possibly mean by that?" He pretended to sound outraged and hurt, but she knew him better than that.

"Guys have a one-track mind. That's all I'm saying." She waved her hand in front of her and Nightwing rolled his eyes. "But as for your question, I suggest we get you into civvies. . ." Nightwing opened his mouth to object but Rachel kept going. ". . .and then hopping over to my apartment for some privacy. Sound good?"

"But what do you feel comfortable with, Rae?" Nightwing asked her in concern and walked over to her on the medical cot. He held out his hand to her to help her down but she waited a moment to answer before she accepted it. "I don't mind making out. You know, if you want to. . ." She said with a light blush and took his hand.

"I'm good with anything you're good with." He told her compassionately and Rachel nodded as they left hand-in-hand.

—

Changeling stared at the screen as he and his cybernetic friend battled each other on their old but reliable Gamestation. "Face it, Tin Can, you can't beat the master of all video game-age!" Changeling said as he passed Cyborg in their race.

"Think again, green bean!" He exclaimed as he bumped his way into the lead.

"No way!" The green ex-Titan exclaimed. "That can't be! This game must be defective." He concluded as Cyborg drove across the finish line 3.27 seconds before Changeling.

"Boo-ya!" Cyborg yelled as Kori began to clap. "Face it, grass stain." He said. "You cannot beat the _winner _of all video game-age." Cyborg started doing his victory dance when the door swished open to revieal Nightwing in civvies (but still wearing his mask) and the girl, Rachel, was right behind him.

"Friend Nightwing." Kori said in confusion. "Why are you not dressed properly for the Day of Commemoration of our dear Friend Raven? I have even made the pudding of remembrance in preparation for this ev—"

"Don't worry about it, Kori." The girl, Rachel, said casually.

"You do not know the ways of—" Kori levitated in the air a good four feet above Rachel's head with starbolts ready when Nightwing stopped her with his voice. "Let her finish what she was saying, Kori. It's okay."

"Don't worry, you don't have to remember her anymore." Changeling smiled and Cyborg nodded at what Rachel had said. Kori, however, looked angrier that this _stranger _whom she had called '_Friend_' had suggested that they forget about her best friend and ditch the ceremony they were about to commence with that day for the eighth time in the seven years Raven had been gone! "Star. . . I'm right here." Kori narrowed her eyes and didn't understand the underlying meaning this person was saying to her. So Rachel showed her. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" A dark wave of energy engulfed Rachel and Kori gasped as she finally realized what she had been trying to say._ I'm right here and I'm here to stay._

When the dark energy had dissipated from Rachel, they saw the Raven they remembered. She was still in her civilian clothes she had been wearing all day, but the long violet hair, the grayish skin that had lightened into a soft shade of cream, the chakra, and she took out her color contacts to reveal amethyst eyes to prove that _this _was Raven. And she was back.

—

**(Twenty-some minutes earlier)**

The twosome walked out of the medical wing holding each other's hand. They walked down the hallways so familiar to them until they reached the elevator and took it down two floors to the floor with all their rooms on it. They walked down a separate hallway leading to Nightwing's room from when he was Robin. When the door opened Raven was surprised how much of it was exactly as she remembered. The desk with his computer and lamp, his queen bed with the (now faded) red bedspread, the billboard with all the newspaper clippings and leads of Slade along with other notorious villains. Everything was the same. She opened his closet and found his collection of Robin uniforms on the left side and on the right were civvies that looked like they were up-to-date and would fit him perfectly.

"Let's see here. . ." Rachel started searching through the hung up clothes one by one and taking out a pair of pants here, a shirt there, jackets, and other articles of clothing.

"What _are _you doing?" Nightwing asked Rachel when he saw her rummaging through his closet.

"I'm picking out your clothes." She said in answer to his question like it was no big deal.

"Don't _I _get some say in this?" He asked her, clearly offended.

She stopped with a pile of clothes draped over her left arm and looked at him. She scanned him from head to toe and back again before shaking her head. "No." She said simply.

"_No?_" He asked. "What do you mean 'no'? These are _my _clothes!" Nightwing nearly shouted. _What does she think she's doing?_

"Nightwing." She said to grab his attention from his anger to what she was saying. "You dressed like a walking traffic light for the five years the Titans were together. Before that, when you were with Batman, you wore superhero _underwear _and _pixie boots_. If you honestly think I'm going to let you dress yourself before we go out in the public then you got another thing coming!"

As much as Nightwing wanted to contradict her and provide an argument, he could not find a complex and sophisticated way to say 'but I'm better now'. He crossed his arms against his broad chest and he had an expression on his face that reminded her of a little boy who had been told he couldn't play with his favorite toy. She was expecting a 'hmph' on top of that, but he never made a sound. "Don't worry," Rachel said. "you'll get the final say." He nodded his head stubbornly, but held the look that made Rachel want to burst out in fits of laughter. She retained it though, but only because of years of controlling her emotions strictly.

Rachel finished looking through his closet and put the clothes on his bed. After sorting out the clothes into three different complete outfits she let Nightwing pick which one he would put on. Naturally, he picked the outfit consisting of a black tee that had the words "Stop Reading My Shirt" in white and loose, black and red shorts that went down to his knees. The outfit also had black socks with a white Nike mark on them and black sneakers with blood-red laces the same color as his shirt

Rachel started putting the other clothes away as Nightwing began to undress. He unhooked his belt, dropped it on the bed, and sat down to take off his steel-toed boots. They clunked heavy on the floor as he dropped them. He pulled the top of his costume off, careful not to make the hole where he got shot any bigger. He examined the scab on his left breast. It was so close to his heart. . . If she hadn't been there, he definitely would have died.

"What's the matter?" Rachel asked when she saw him just standing there, topless and staring at his wound from earlier today. She strode over to the bed until she was standing before him. "Does it hurt?"

"No, the wound isn't what is hurting me." Rachel put her hands on her hips and gave him a look that said she demanded an explanation from him. Nightwing sighed. "I just feel weak. I would not have survived if you would have been any other person. . ."

"So you're mad that I saved you?" She wasn't enraged at his answer, but she wasn't pleased, either.

"No, not exactly." He shook his head and tried to think of how to word his emotions. It never had been his strong point. . .

"No, your pride is damaged because you _had _to be saved. Am I correct?" Rachel placed her hand on his bare shoulder, trying to comfort him. She was surprised when he did not shrug it off, but instead looked her in the eyes. "You know, when you saved me — and the universe — from Trigon, I didn't feel weak." She shook her head a little and continued after a brief pause. "Instead, I felt grateful to you and strong because I knew I had you by my side. Forever and a day." She smiled and turned around, letting her hand glide from his shoulder down part of his arm. "Finish up, will you? You're acting like a teenage girl, now."

Nightwing chuckled at that last comment and when her hand had left his body completely, he noticed that the wound had healed to the point where the scab was barely noticeable. _She can really work wonders, that girl._ He smiled and finished getting dressed.

When he was finally finished, he placed his hand on her shoulder and kissed her cheek so she would turn around and face him. "Ready?" He asked her.

"I am, but you're not." She told him and crossed her arms against her chest to emphasize she wasn't moving until he did something else.

"What is it, Rae?" He asked, still annoyed that she had picked out his outfit.

"Well, for task one, we need to get rid of that mask," Nightwing opened his mouth and uttered a 'but' before Rachel finished her sentence. "_after _we leave the Tower's property. Don't worry, your secret identity is safe. I already know who you are, anyway, Dick Grayson, and that you have the most gorgeous blue eyes I've ever seen." She turned it around with a compliment, so it would seem rude for him _not _to show her his blue eyes.

"What's hopefully the _last _thing?" He asked her with an expression between a smile and a frown.

"We need to tell the others I'm here." She told him. "Well, more like Kori." He agreed with a nod and she gestured for the door with a nod of her hand. He took a hold of her gestured hand and interlocked their fingers before entering the living room where the other three ex-Titans presumably were.

—

Once Raven had told the other three who she was and transformed into her old self she told them that she couldn't stay that way. Not for now, anyway. "You don't understand. I am a very distinguishable character. Raven can't just magically appear again after seven years! Especially if she's going to hit the town. If the press found out, and then I wasn't there, again. . . I dunno. I just don't want to be put on display, yet. It's okay in the Tower but not in the outside world. I hope you guys understand. . ." Rachel sighed. "When outside of the Tower I am Rachel Roth. I have a job as an RN at the big hospital on Chestnut Street. I have neighbors and I know most people in my community. They helped me afford to get into college and supported me all the way through."

"It's okay, Rae. If you're not up to fighting crime and being Raven for now, it's alright. Just as long as you will come back to us." Cyborg told her and gave her a hug like that of an older brother seeing his baby sister off before she gets married.

She hugged Cyborg back and locked eyes with Changeling. "I already have." _Thank you for all your help._ She told him in his mind. He nodded in response and Rachel turned to Kori. "I'll be back later, Star. Take care of the others for me, alright?" Kori nodded with enthusiasm and gave Rachel a hug with her deadly grip that nearly suffocated her. "Thank you all." She said before she and Nightwing went through the front door and onto his old R-Cycle.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it, Rachel?" He asked her as he pushed a button so the motorcycle would turn black and the "R" would disappear, making it look like a regular, but expensive, bike.

"Yeah, a lot of them." She turned his face away from the front as he turned the key in the ignition. "But, now it's time to _make _memories with Dick Grayson, and not Nightwing."

He nodded in understanding and stripped off the mask. "Happy now?" He asked as he folded it and placed it in one of the many pockets on his shorts.

"Just peachy."

"So whereabouts do you live?" He asked her as they started going down the bridge that connected the Tower with the mainland.

"You know those apartments on fifth?" She nearly screamed in his ear when they got on the highway so he would hear her.

"Yeah, I think they're called the Ocean Apartment Complex. You live near it?" He screamed back.

"No, I live _in _them." She deadpanned. "Really?" He asked her. "Even with a nurse's full-time pay, I didn't think you could afford them. They're pretty expensive."

"Well, I got a pretty good deal. I got the top floor, which nobody wants since there are six flights of stairs to climb, but they are spacier and have a cool breeze in the summer and are warm in the winter. I have two bedrooms each with walk-in closets, one bath that connects them, a kitchen, a living room, and a pantry. Turn left here." She told him at a red light and he got in the turning lane.

"But how did you pull it off?" He asked as they turned.

"I know the landlord. She's a nice lady. Well, to the people she likes anyway. I sat next to her daughter or by her in most classes in college. We had to do several projects together, and became nice friends. We work at the same hospital, now, and do lunch about once a week. Anyway, when her mother found out I was living practically in a garbage dump, she offered me an apartment that had been vacant for a few years. You'll make a right here. She told me that I didn't have to pay her the regular pay until I got established and then we would work something out. So now I pay about three quarters of what most people do and file some paperwork for her every Saturday afternoon." The speed had been decreased to twenty-five miles per hour because of a school nearby so he could hear her pretty well.

They drove in a comfortable silence for a few more minutes before they arrived at the apartment complex. "Here we are." Dick said as he turned into the parking lot and parked where she indicated. "So where is your door?" He asked and followed her as she walked to a door not too far from where they had parked.

Rachel punched in the security code to unlock the door before opening it for the two of them. As soon as they got the staircase, Dick bolted up the stairs while yelling, "I'll race you to the top!" quite like a little kid.

"Hey, that's not fair! Get back here!" She yelled after him and tried to keep up, but she had neither long legs nor manly stamina. By the fourth story she was panting from trying to run as fast as him. And by the sixth story, where her apartment was located, she was almost wheezing.

"What number?" He asked when she arrived at the top of the stairs. "631." She said in defeat.

"Hey, Rachel, are you okay?" He asked her as she leaned against her door for support.

"Take keys." She handed him the key to her apartment and he unlocked the door after he picked her up bridal style. Opening the door, he walked in sideways so he wouldn't hit Rachel on either side of the doorpost. He walked into the apartment and smelled a french vanilla candle burning. "Which way?" He asked after closing and locking the front door.

"Left. Ugh. . ." She muttered and he found a doorway that obviously led to her room. The walls were painted lavender with a border of purple flowers along the top and grape-red colored carpet. She had a queen-sized bed with a bedspread the same color as her walls and matching sheets. The bed frame and her bureau, bedside table, and vanity were all made of matching dark wood. It was relatively plain, but Rachel has never been one for extravagance. As long as it matched, was not pink, and looked good together, it was fine.

Dick closed the door as soon as they entered her "domain" and gently laid her down on the bed. She looked like she was about to pass out from exhaustion, the poor girl. He should have never raced her up six long flights of stairs. He should have known that she had never had the physical endurance he had and that this would be the result.

Rachel curled up into a ball and closed her eyes. Dick smiled at how the great Raven could look so helpless and (dare-he-say-it?) cute. He unlaced her sneakers and slid them off as well as her socks. He quietly placed them by the foot of the bed. He debated whether or not he should let her sleep in the clothes she had worn all day or not. So, instead of snooping through the drawers and changing her, he decided that her blouse was long and baggy enough for him to take her jeans off. He unbuttoned and unzipped her pants before slipping them off, revealing beautiful legs. He took his shoes, socks, and shirt off before climbing onto the bed and curled up against her back. He laid his arm over her mid-section in a protective fashion before closing his eyes and slipping off to dreamland.

—

Rachel woke up a few hours later because her legs were cold. She brought her knees up to her waist and rubbed them subconsciously. _Why are my legs bare?_ She opened her eyes. _Whose naked arm is that?_ She grew alarmed. She didn't remember getting in bed last night. Did she pick someone up last night?! Was there a _stranger _in her bed? She looked down and saw she was wearing a shirt and was relieved partially. She didn't want to wake up the person in her bed for fear it was someone dangerous, so she gently picked up the man's muscular arm a few inches above her waist so she could roll over to face him, and slowly enough so he wouldn't feel the bed move much.

"Oh, thank goodness. . ." She breathed as she saw it was only Dick and that he was wearing fully zipped pants. His eyelids fluttered a few times before he opened his eyes fully.

"'Morning, Rachel." He whispered to her before pecking her on the lips.

She smiled back at him before rolling over to see what time it was. "It's not even morning, yet. It's only 11:30. No wonder it's so dark." She said before facing him, again. "What time do you think we should get back?"

"We'll be back when we're back." He told her. "I doubt Cyborg's waiting up for us. We're big kids, now." He gave her a cheesy grin that made her want to slap him silly. Instead, though, she kissed him once more before they fell asleep again.

—Fin—

A/N: I hope that was okay. I know it kinda dragged here and there. . . Review!

Signed,

Her Sappiness


	4. RedHanded

**A/N: This chapter contains some swearing.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

I Love You, Nevermore

—Red-Handed—

FOUR

Rachel turned towards the heat source to her left, snuggling closer to it. She had never before felt so secure, so safe. And as much as she didn't want to, something was pulling her away from blessed, blessed sleep and into the waking world. Rachel slowly lifted her eyelids, wanting to savor as much of this blissful feeling as she could. Two eyes of blue were staring back at her. The eyes lit up in a smile when they found her awake. "You could sleep through the end of the world, you know?" The owner of the eyes informed her.

"Probably." She shared his smile. "But we don't have to worry about that anytime soon." Rachel brought a hand up to tuck some of his ebony hair behind his ear. "That is, unless there is something you have yet to tell me."

Dick leaned in close to quickly taste her mouth from his elevated position. "Nothing besides I love you, and will never let you out of my sight, again." He brought his head down to rest on her shoulder and wrapped his left arm around her torso. "So, what are we gonna do today?"

"I don't know. I'm just so glad today is today. . . I get to sleep in and do _whatever_ I want until I have to file paperwork after lunch." She smiled and closed her eyes.

"I thought you filed paperwork on Saturdays." Dick's hot breath on her neck sent shivers all over her body.

Rachel sent him a confused look. "Yeah, I do. And I positively love the freedom it gives me."

"Only one problem with that plan," Dick told her. Rachel's blood ran cold when he said, "Today's Friday."

"Shit!" She turned around to look at her clock to find the time a few minutes shy of seven AM. "Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, my goodness, no."

"What's the matter, Rachel?" Dick asked, uneasy at her panic.

"Not only do I have to go to work in twenty minutes, but my coworker I was telling you about yesterday is picking me up!" Rachel turned around and slid out of bed.

"So we have twenty minutes to get this place cleaned up and get you off to work. We can do this, no sweat." Dick tried to reason with her and calm her down.

"No, no, no, no, no, no. You don't understand. We _leave _in twenty minutes. She comes at seven sharp for breakfast."

"Oh, shit!" Dick cursed. The last thing he wanted was someone to walk in on them and to complicate their lives any further when they've just reunited. He didn't want to lose her again. Never again.

Rachel was still panicking and picking up their stray articles of clothing and shoes from last night and cleaning up her room. "Okay, you get dressed and I'll take a shower to buy us some time. . . She should be here any minute, oh crap."

Dick slipped a hand through his raven-colored hair. "Can't you cancel and say you're sick?" He asked optimistically.

Rachel finished grabbing all previously-worn articles of clothing and put them in a clothes hamper. "I could've if I had called over an _hour _ago. Now it is way too late to cancel."

"Then get in the shower." Dick urged her. "I'll stay in your room and won't make a noise."

"Okay." Rachel grabbed new clothes for the day and ran into her bathroom, shutting the door. As Dick pulled on his socks he heard the shower water running_. I _cannot _believe this is happening. . . _He thought as he shook his head.

Dick put on his shoes when he heard Rachel's front door open. "Oh, Rachel, I'm sorry I'm so late." A cheery voice that reminded him of Starfire's said. A pause. "Rachel?" He heard Sharon's footsteps come closer to the bedroom door as he tied his shoes. "Oh! You're in the shower. I guess you're running late, too." She raised her voice so Rachel could hear her in the shower. "I'm going to leave the things you left at my apartment on your bed, okay?" She opened the door as Dick pulled his shirt over his head.

_Oh, damn._

"Oh. My. God!!" Sharon screamed as she saw Dick and dropped the bag of Rachel's things onto the floor. "Who the Hell are you?!" She panicked. Rachel wasn't interested in a boyfriend, she hadn't been looking for a relationship the entire time she had known her. Then why was this (rather buff) guy in her bedroom of all places?!

"Don't worry. Calm down." Dick held his hands in front of him to show he wasn't an axe murderer waiting to strike like in the amusing old horror films Rachel would watch when she was a Titan. "I'm just an old friend who's visiting Rachel."

"But. . . why are you in her bedroom if you're only a. . . friend?" Sharon wasn't a stupid person, she was quite intellectual. It was the situation that had her mind boggled. Rachel never had anyone from her past visit her. _She _never visited anyone. It was like she had run away from her past and wanted nothing to do with it. She had made new friends, if few, and no matter how many times she had tried to match Rachel up with some respectable bachelor, Rachel would _always _turn the opportunity looked at the tousled sheets on the bed that were always perfectly made. She saw his wrinkled clothes that he had obviously just thrown on. "You're not 'just an old friend', are you?"

"Rachel and I. . . went out for a while a long time ago. I just happened to find her again after she moved away and terminated all contact from both me and our friends." Dick admitted.

Sharon nodded her head and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You slept with her, didn't you." Sharon stated it as a fact rather than in the form of a question.

"Hold up. I didn't sleep wit—" Dick tried to say, but Sharon kept going.

"Tell me, how long has it been since you've last seen each other? I mean, she obviously was not any different yesterday when she left work than any other day. How long has it been that you could just see your ex-girlfriend again and jump her the first time you get a chance?!"

Dick put his hands on his hips as he closed his eyes and sighed. He could feel her eyes boring into him. The eyes only got more intense the longer he didn't answer. "Seven years." He told her as he opened his eyes to look at her. "Still, I'm telling you I didn—"

"Do you think I am stupid?" Sharon asked without a delay.

"No." Dick answered. "If you are Rachel's friend, then I am sure you are quite intelligent.

"Then why do you think I won't believe that you didn't sleep with my best friend when the _bed _is messy, as are your _clothes_, Rachel just _happened _to be in the _shower _when we have to leave very soon, and you just _happened _to be in _her _bedroom when she has a guest bedroom?

"No, you don't understand." Dick firmly stated. _Does she honestly think I took advantage of her best friend?_

"Did you use protection?" Dick felt like he had been taken hostage and was forced questions in an interrogation.

"I'll say it again: I didn't sleep with Rachel. We merely shared the same bed! Need I remind you this is _Rachel _we're talking about?" Dick said as regards Rachel. Always the sane one, always the safe one.

"Good point." Sharon said. "Was—"

"No more!" Dick said as she was about to spout a novel more of questions.

The two of them stood in silence until they heard the water turn off as Rachel obviously got out of the shower. Sharon looked at the watch on her wrist and shook her head. "We're gonna be late. . ." Followed by the longest minute of silence Dick had ever experienced.

"So, what kind of nursing do you practice?" Dick asked randomly for the sake of no more silence.

"She didn't tell you or wasn't there enough time last night?" Sharon criticized him.

"I didn't ask and I'm telling you I did not sleep with her." Dick sighed and shifted his weight to his other foot as the awkward silence became unbearable.

"Suuuuuure, you didn't." Sharon said sarcastically. Then the door to the bathroom opened where Rachel stood quizzically with one eyebrow raised in her trademark expression._ I was gone for what? ten minutes and look; my best friend and boyfriend are already distrusting the other_. Rachel didn't have to read their minds to know they were both thinking 'Rachel actually _chose_ him/her to be her boyfriend/friend?' Followed by insults and disapprovals. Rachel sighed. "We might as well eat."

Both Sharon and Dick noticed the depressive note in her words and how she slumped as she walked. Both Sharon and Dick blamed the other for causing this instead of placing the blame on themselves. That was where the actual fault lied.

Rachel, on the other hand, was dreading the mistrust between the two. _Don't make me choose again. . ._ She didn't want to play monkey in the middle, where she was caught in the middle of the war with no side to claim. _I don't want to lose either one of you._

_I can't afford to lose any one else close to me._

"So. . . what's your name, anyway? Or should I just call you 'that guy'?" Sharon asked once Rachel had forbid her to help her cook breakfast.

"Dick. Dick Grayson." He held out a hand.

Sharon didn't take it. "What is your _real_ name? It's one thing to sleep with my best friend, but it's quite another to lie to me."

Dick sighed when Rachel wouldn't vouch for him or correct her. Obviously she wanted the two of them to gain some level of understanding, or at least respect that Rachel had chosen _both_ of them. And that with one came the other. This Dick realized.

"I'm not lying." Dick reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Here's my driver's license." Sharon snatched it from his hand to examine it closely. "Richard Grayson." She read aloud. "Age: twenty-five. Hair: black. Eyes: blue. Height: six feet, two inches. Damn, this is real. You mean you are really, truthfully, and totally the billionaire Bruce Wayne's adopted son?"

"Yes! He was the closest thing to a father that I ever really had." Dick said more with his sincere, yet melancholy, blue eyes than with his voice.

And Sharon believed him. She felt like a fool acting this way in front of her best friend. Rachel had specifically chosen this man for a reason. In fact, she had possibly known this man longer than herself and Rachel had known each other. They had gone out before. . . But what made them split up and force Rachel to cut all contact? "But why did you break up?" Sharon asked them both. "If you had so much emotion towards each other that you could go back to where you were seven years ago in one day. . . Why?"

"We didn't exactly break up, Sharon." Raven came over with two plates of scrambled eggs with cheese and yellow onions for Dick and Sharon along with silverware. Sharon looked at Dick who was grossly enthralled in his food and waited for Rachel to explain. "You see, we started going out when I was seventeen and Dick was eighteen. We had exclaimed our love for each other and found the other felt the same way. We were so happy." Rachel let a small, sad smile grace her face, but her heavy eyes took away all the beauty from the smile.

_What happened to you, Rachel? Why are you always so sad?_ Sharon wondered and waited for Rachel to resume.

"We told our three best friends the very next day because we thought they should know and that we shouldn't keep secrets from them. Unfortunately, it didn't go over very well." Sharon looked over to Dick briefly to see him picking at his food with his fork. "The first reaction was from our friend Kori. She had always let her feelings for Dick be known openly. She wasn't the kind of person to hold any secrets, but instead to wear her emotions on her sleeves. Even though she was the same age as me, she was naive and very confused. She thought that Dick felt the same way about her since her feelings were so sincere and intense. She was crushed to find out otherwise. And she started to cry. It broke my heart to find myself doing this to my best friend. And then there was our other friend Gar. He was about fifteen at the time and very immature. He ran out of the room mainly because of the same reason; he was so crushed that the person he was crushing on had chosen someone else. And that left Vic. He was always the big brother of the group, so when Kori and Gar had left, he went full force at it. He expressed how greatly he was disappointed in us and how we were the reason our friendship was becoming strained. And that is exactly what happened.

"For the next two months things had become so unbearable. The five of us were roommates, so avoiding the others was extremely hard to do. Dick and I had each other, but no one else to reassure our fears and to tell us we were doing the right thing by being in love with each other and waiting for the others to accept us as a couple. That never came. Instead, one night, I grew absolutely tired of the fights and awkward silences. So I ran away. I left notes that night apologizing to each of them and promised that I would never hurt them again in such a way. And then I was starting a new school here in Jump and we met, Sharon. That's the story." Rachel shrugged and cleaned the last pieces of egg off her plate.

"So that's why you would never go out with anyone or accept the dates I arranged for you. You were still in love with this guy." Sharon gestured over to Dick while looking at Rachel.

"I thought we agreed you weren't going to call me that." Dick said more amused than annoyed.

"_We_ never agreed on anything. But Rae, we gotta go. Don't want Doctor Bryant on our tails again, now do we?"

Rachel sighed. "Certainly not." She grabbed her sneakers and began to lace them. "So, I'll see you at the hotel tonight, Dick?"

Dick grabbed her coat off the coat hanger to give to her. "Here, you better take this. It looks like rain. And yeah, I'll be at the hotel with the gang."

"Thanks. I'll see ya then." Dick nodded and leaned down to plant a kiss on her cherry lips. " 'Love you!"

"Bye, Rae." Dick told her, not wanting her to leave in fear she might not come back.

"Bye." Rachel replied, also not ready to leave the comfort of her boyfriend and to enter the cruel day set before her.

"Would you guys just get over it? Rae, we are later than normal. Bryant is gonna have our asses for this!" Rachel snapped out of her 'lover mode' into 'real life mode' in only .02 seconds.

Rachel gave Dick a set of keys. "Here, Dick. Lock up when you get a chance, and I'll meet you there after six, 'kay?"

Dick gave a salute. "Yes, ma'am!" And at that, Sharon dragged Rachel out of her apartment and then dragged her down all six flights of stairs. _This is going to be an interesting day, that's for sure._

Dick placed his plate and fork in the sink and inhaled the scent of vanilla mixed with something else less pleasant. _Where is that coming from?_ He walked around, following his sense of smell. It led, not to Rachel's room, but the guest bedroom. He opened the door fully and the smell smacked him in the face full blast. Looking around, the room looked almost exactly like Rachel's only blue. The closet was open and a large kitchen trash bag was full of different papers and folders. He walked closer to the closet and found a leather bound book on the floor next to the trash bag. It was like Rachel could not decide whether or not it was worth keeping. Dick picked up the book and kept looking for where the smell might be coming from.

And then he found it. A large vanilla candle with a picture to the side of it that had a hole burned in the middle of it. When he turned it over he saw something he had never wanted to see in his entire life. _Why? Why would she do something like that? _And then he opened the book to see what was inside.

—Fin—

A/N: I hope you guys don't mind all the swearing. I used it to show the emotional response they had to the situation. Well, you know what to do: REVIEW!!!

Signed,

Her Sappiness


	5. Truth Among Truths

Disclaimer: Nothing.

I Love You, Forevermore  
—Truth Among Truths—  
FIVE

_Dick placed his plate and fork in the sink and inhaled the scent of vanilla mixed with something else less pleasant. _Where is that coming from?_ He walked around, following his sense of smell. It led, not to Rachel's room, but the guest bedroom. He opened the door fully and the smell smacked him in the face, full blast. Looking around, the room looked almost exactly like Rachel's only blue. The closet was open and a large kitchen trash bag was full of different papers and folders. He walked closer to the closet and found a leather bound book on the floor next to the trash bag. It was like Rachel could not decide whether or not it was worth keeping. Dick picked up the book and kept looking for where the smell might be coming from._

_And then he found it. A large vanilla candle with a picture to the side of it that had a hole burned in the middle of it. When he turned it over he saw something he had never wanted to see in his entire life._ Why? Why would she do something like that?_ And then he opened the book to see what was inside._

—

The book seemed to open up by itself. Well, maybe with the help of one small nudge by Dick. He glanced back at the picture once before looking inside the book. The page that the book had opened up to was dated July 18th, 2005. _That was the same day as—! _Dick thought frantically. _This must have been her diary. . . or_ was. With new-found determination, he looked down and read the entry.

"_July 18__th__, 2005._

_Diary— _

_It has finally happened. He is gone! Trigon is no more. With the help of my friends, especially Robin, I am no longer plagued by that demon inside of me. I never thought there would be a day that I could say, "I feel. . ." . But there is. I have found it. Happiness, eccentricity, sadness, anger, all these emotions I can _feel_._ _And with this discovery, it seems as if the bond between Robin and I has only deepened. Maybe it was because of what we went through together, maybe not. I cannot believe someone would risk themselves as to go to the pits of Hell just to rescue someone— someone like _me_. That is dedication. Maybe I'll ask him why he did all that he did. Maybe even tonight. I long to be near him, I long to see him, smell him, hear him speak to me. When did I become so — _attached_? It seems like for the first time, I actually _know _someone. Someone who is like me, and _knows _me._ _Why do I feel this fluttering in my heart, this freeness in my soul, whenever I talk or think about him? I cannot describe the way I feel whenever I am around him. Could it be that I am in love with Robin? Can someone like _me_ love? So many questions are plaguing my mind, and I cannot get them to stop! There is only one resolution. . . I have to talk to Robin. Who knows? Maybe he might love me back.." _

Dick closed the book. It was plain obvious Rachel, or rather Raven, had been head over heels for himself. But the evidence of the burned picture confused him. It saddened him that the picture was more recent than the diary entry by seven years. _She had loved me. . . _It killed Dick to use past tense in that sentence._ But she wanted to forget about me. So she burned the evidence that proved that we were ever together. But what about the diary? She didn't throw that away. _The doubts that were bursting in his mind one after another soon slowed down as a few hopeful aspirations popped up._ There were entries after the one I read. They were probably filled with the thoughts of a girl first experiencing love. So maybe she couldn't forget about me, completely. . . Maybe some love still existed in her heart and not just lust. _

_But what if that isn't the case?_ Dick thought despairingly. _What if she is miserable here as a civilian and wanted to feel powerful as a Titan just once more? What if she is just attracted to my physique and has no feelings for the man behind it? I did say I wasn't even staying a week. Is this her version of a one-night stand? _Dick brushed a hand through his shoulder-length hair. This was getting him nowhere. He needed answers before his thoughts ate him alive. But where? Rachel was at work. . . and so was Sharon. Unfortunately, he didn't know anyone else she kept in touch with. She never spoke of any friends except for Sharon. "I guess I have no choice. I have to go visit her at the hospital." Dick closed the book and placed it back on the floor. "Whether she wants me to or not."

—

"Rachel?" Rachel looked up at the sound of her name.

"Yeah, Sharon?" She walked over to her friend and co-worker.

"They've got it in for us, today. Two back surgeries and a hip replacement." Sharon sighed. "Today won't end for a long time."

"How lovely. . . We'll be working overtime!" Rachel mocked a happy expression, but soon returned to normal. "Which doctors?" She asked.

"The first two are with Dr. Baxter, so they'll go pretty fast, but the hip replacement is with Dr. Maxwell. And we all know the old coot takes forever!" Rachel chuckled at Sharon when she raised her arms in a 'why?' gesture and looked to the ceiling as if she was asking God what she had done wrong to deserve this horrible fate.

"We better go, Bad Luck, otherwise we will be late for surgery number one." The girls chuckled at that as they walked down the never-ending hallway to where the front board and the elevators were so they could enter another never-ending hallway that would lead them to where the surgery would be performed. They didn't think that at the front board a certain someone would be waiting.

"Rachel!" She jumped as someone said her name _rather loudly_. She turned her head to see Dick in all his dark glory wearing shorts and a t-shirt. _This is so embarrassing. . ._ She thought as everyone passing by stopped and stared at not only the rather handsome looking guy, but at Rachel. You know, Rachel? Anti-social, non-lovable, outcast, probably lesbian Rachel? She has a guy like _that_ chasing her down? What is _wrong_ with her?

"Um. . . yeah?" She asked, not forgetting how uncomfortable and awkward this seemed to her with all her coworkers staring at her. Dick didn't seem to notice. He was on a mission, and would not _rest_, would not _stop,_ until it was finished and he got his answers.

"I, uh. . ." He started only to be caught off by Rachel,

"You what?" She challenged. "It better be quick, whatever it is. I have a back surgery to get to in the next two minutes, so I would say you have thirty seconds and counting to say whatever to you have to say and leave." She looked at her watch and then back at him to usher him along. "Better start talking. . ."

"Okay," He inhaled before he started talking. ". 't. ?" Rachel stood back a step and her eyes widened at what he said in such a short period of time._ How did he find that?_ "So?" He asked.

"I'm sorry, but I'm late for my surgery. . ." Rachel stuttered for a few moments and then turned to walk away but didn't get far. Dick was holding onto her arm, and tightly. She was going _nowhere_ until he got his answers. "Dick, let go of me, I have to go."

"You can't even look me in the eye. I need to know _why_." Dick looked at her, and she realized he was right. She couldn't look him in the eye because she was ashamed of what she did. She just got him back and she didn't want to lose him again. But how could she tell him that when he saw evidence that she had tried to forget him, and recently? She knew he was smart enough for all the clues to register. She knew he knew. And that hurt.

"Seriously, Dick! I have to go to my—" She never finished that sentence.

"What's going on here? This is a hospital, not the ladies' restroom!" Everyone quickly ran to where they were supposed to be minutes ago. This was Dr. Maxwell. He was going on seventy, but his mind was as sharp as ever. He loved to insult others, and had been at the same hospital for so many decades that if you said one wrong word, one comeback, he would report you and then do whatever he could to get you fired. He held a lot of power and influence. This was sometimes a good thing, but generally? It was a _very_ bad thing. _This is not looking good. Oh, crap! Why did you have to come now of all times, Dick? _

"Miss Roth. What do we have here?" He said very suspiciously. "Does this. . . _man_. . . have some relation to you?" He asked her.

"Yes, sir. He is an old friend who has recently come back to visit, sir." Rachel hated this man, he wanted respect, which she gave, but she could not help but feel a fishy air around him. He liked trouble. Especially if he was the cause. _This won't turn out good. I'm as good as dead. _Rachel had faced many villains in her life, heck, she brought down the Devil, but she could not help but feel intimidated as she was looked at like a piece of meat.

"How many times have I repeated that personal life should never interfere with the workplace?" _Oh, Lord, here it comes. _"Consider yourself _fired_."

Rachel looked like she was going to cry and Dick immediately knew she was going to be Hell once they got to a more secluded place, like her apartment. "Yes, sir." She said. She kept it together very well, actually. She nodded her head at her former boss and walked to the elevator and pushed the down button.

—

It was a long and silent bus ride to Rachel's apartment. Rachel refused to look or even acknowledge Dick which made him sulk even more. He felt guilty. He just ran into Rachel's personal life after seven years of separation and had done nothing but screw it up ever since. Every few seconds he stole a look at Rachel. . . she looked like she did when they first formed the Titans: depressed, anxious, and skeptical plus a hundred other negative emotions behind a skillfully-placed mask holding herself together. Most people would think she was all fine and dandy. But Dick was not "most people". He knew her better than anyone else. He could tell she was falling apart at the seams.

And it was all his fault.

He ruined everything.

Her quiet life as a civilian was now over because of him.

His train of negative thinking was put on pause as they exited the bus without a word to each other. They silently walked up all six flights to her apartment and Dick handed her the keys he had used to lock up earlier. She took the keys with shaky hands. Right before she placed the key in the keyhole to unlock the door, the keys dropped from her hand. She hunched over and embraced herself. Her shoulders were shaking as silent sobs racked her body. _I have to do something. She's hurt all because of me. I need to make her better!_ As soon as he touched her shoulder, the sobs were not so silent, anymore.

He held her by her shoulders not too far from his own body. She looked up with tears escaping her eyes down her cheeks in several places. "Wh— why?" She asked him in desperation. _Why do bad things only happen to me? _He slipped his hands down her back as he pressed her body to his own.

"It's gonna be okay. Shh. . . It's gonna be alright." He reassured her. "I'll make sure of it. I didn't find you after seven years just for you to be miserable." He paused for a moment as he swallowed a huge lump in his throat. "I love you, Rae. I'm sorry and I won't let you stay this way." He backed away enough for him to hold her chin in his hand. "It's not an option." He smiled at her and she tried her hardest to smile back only to fail miserably. He was trying to make her feel better, true, but he was the reason she was like this, right? Then why was it so hard to stay mad at him? _Maybe I love him too much. . ._

Dick just smiled at her tiny frame. He loved her so much. _If I made her feel so miserable, then I'll have to give her the best day of her life to compensate!_ No longer was he driven for answers. In fact, he couldn't care less at the moment. All he wanted to do was to show his love for her.

He let go of Rachel for a moment to bend down and pick up the neglected keys. He unlocked her apartment door and ushered her in. Closing the door behind him, he locked it in place and put the keys on the kitchen table. Rachel was sitting in one of the kitchen chairs, still crying, although it had toned down quite a bit.

"I— I'm sorry. I probably look really ugly right now." Rachel apologized as she wiped away the still-flowing tears from her face.

Dick shook his head. "No. No, you don't. You look like you were disappointed, but not ugly. I don't think I've ever seen you look ugly." He smiled at her and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. They had almost stopped flowing and Dick felt a weight lift off his chest knowing that he could make her feel better, if only a little._ I guess she does still love me._

This time Rachel smiled for real. Dick kneeled down so he was almost the same height as she was on the chair. "Can I kiss you?" He whispered while deeply looking her in the eyes. It usually would have made her nervous, or at least uncomfortable, but it made her feel, well, _loved_. She nodded her head in agreement. With the last of her tears already shed and a smile on her face, Dick thought that she looked happy, _truly_ happy. He leaned forward very slowly and pressed his lips to hers. She closed her eyes and leaned into it.

Dick brought a hand up to place in her thick, black tresses, and rested the other one on the back of her neck. Rachel noticed this and wrapped her arms around his neck in return. While still liplocked, Dick used his hands to make Rachel lean forward until she was off the chair and kneeling on the floor just like him.

He smiled and hungrily licked her lips, seeking entrance which she readily gave. Their tongues battled for dominance and before either of them knew it, Dick was lying on the floor with Rachel pressed snugly on top of him. She broke the kiss for air which gave Dick the perfect opportunity to gaze deeply into her blue eyes. "I think I could get used to this. . ." Rachel told him.

"Not me." Dick replied and Rachel looked at him in question. "Every time it would have to be a new adventure." She smiled and kissed him.

"You sure know how to charm a girl." Rachel laughed as she spoke.

Dick leaned up to chastely kiss her. "I've only been daydreaming for seven years." He smiled even though he saw pain in her eyes for a brief moment. _She must be thinking it's her fault. But it is mine as much as hers, if not more_. "Now that I have you, I don't think I can let go of you, again." He kissed her cheek and then her temple, her forehead, and finally the tip of her nose. "I love you, Rachel. I love you."

Her eyes started to water, but she wouldn't allow herself to cry. She wouldn't! There was no way she was going to— _Oh, to hell with it. . ._ A few teardrops slid down her cheeks and dropped onto his, but no more tears came after her sudden burst of emotion. "I love you, too, Dick." She shared his smile.

Rachel rolled off of him and slowly sat up. Dick soon followed after her. As they sat next to each other, he looked deeply into her eyes. "You know what I think?" He asked her with a smirk as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"No. What do you think?" Rachel asked with an amused smile as she looked at him. She was now one hundred and eighty degrees the opposite direction of how she felt not even ten minutes ago. He was like a drug and she couldn't get enough.

Dick's smile suddenly vanished and he looked at her with one of the most serious expressions she had ever seen on him. "I think it may be time for you to disappear again." He told her, and Raven knew exactly what he meant.

"I think you're right."

—Fin—

A/N: Okay, just so you know, I put "Raven" in there intentionally (if you catch my drift). I would like to thank all my wonderful reviewers who have supported me not only with this story (and "I Love You, Nevermore" which it used to be called), but with all the stories I am working on, now. I'm working on "Troubled Mind", "A Tale of a Raven", and "Amongst the Quiet" (believe it or not; I really am). However, as for more story ideas, this story desperately needs some. If you have any ideas, please either review or PM me. PMs are recommended, though. Anyway, thank you all for watching my stories and reading them. Hopefully I can finish chapter seven of "Troubled Mind" soon, since I know a few of you out there are desperately wanting to know what's going to happen next. I hope I can live up to your expectations.

Signed,  
Her Sappiness


End file.
